Solar energy in Russia and the world. Use of solar energy

The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (RSF), and its results were published in the international journal Frontiers in Chemistry. Read more.

A plant for the production of solar panels will be built in the Ulyanovsk region

In January, during a working visit to China, a delegation with the governor of the Ulyanovsk region visited the enterprise of the technological partner of the Austrian company Green Source to get acquainted with the company's products and discuss the upcoming construction of a solar panel plant in the Ulyanovsk region. An agreement on the construction of such a plant was reached with Austrian companies last year.

“At the end of 2018, we agreed with Austrian companies to build an enterprise in the Ulyanovsk region for the production of photovoltaic modules for solar power plants using advanced technology,” Governor Morozov said on January 19 on his Facebook page.

2018

Four solar power plants with a capacity of 100 MW will operate in Buryatia by 2022

Four solar power plants (SPP) with a total capacity of 100 MW will operate in Buryatia by 2022. This was announced on Monday, acting. Minister for the Development of Transport, Energy and Roads Alexei Nazimov, speaking at a meeting of the Council for Science under the head of Buryatia Alexei Tsydenov.

Solar home owners to be allowed to sell electricity

Local sales companies will be required to buy electricity at an average price, the press service of the ministry explained. The benchmark will be the cost of energy from local large power plants. Owners of private houses in areas that do not have access to the unified power grid of Russia or are not included in the price zones of the European part of the Russian Federation and the Urals with Siberia (for example, the Kaliningrad region and the Far East) will be allowed to sell it at a tariff regulated by the FAS. Installations no more powerful than 15 kW will be able to claim a guaranteed purchase of energy.

It is possible that the owners of wind turbines and solar panels in private homes will also receive tax incentives. Their income from the sale of excess electricity in the amount of up to 150 thousand rubles. per year can be exempt from personal income tax. The relevant issue is being considered by the government.

T Plus starts construction of the largest solar stations in Russia

- The development of "green" energy is a key direction of the work of the Government of the region on the development of alternative fuels and the preservation of the environment. Five solar power plants are already operating in the region. The largest of them was built in Orsk by T Plus. With the launch of the second stage, its capacity increased to 40 megawatts. Solar power plants operate in Perevolotsky, Grachevsky, Krasnogvardeysky, Sol-Iletsk districts, - said Yuri Berg. – Today we are taking an important step forward – we are starting the construction of two more alternative energy facilities. Our task is to strengthen the leading positions of the Orenburg region in the development of alternative energy. We will accomplish this task, and by 2020 the capacity of all solar power plants in the Orenburg region will be more than 200 megawatts. Today, the environmental aspect is of decisive importance for determining the quality and level of comfort of human life. This is a priority of the presidential policy. The development of alternative energy is a look into the future, - the head of the region stated.

2017

Results of the development of solar energy for the year

Alexey Leonidovich Teksler, First Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation, spoke in January 2018 at the ministerial round table "Innovations for energy transformation: how electric transport / electric vehicles are changing the energy system", which was held as part of the eighth meeting of the IRENA Assembly.

Alexey Teksler told the participants of the discussion about the development of RES in Russia. According to him, quite recently in Russia, except for large hydropower, there were no competencies in the field of renewable energy and a big step forward was made in a few years.

"The main result of 2017, which I am ready to state, is that renewable energy in Russia has taken place as an industry," the deputy head emphasized.

Almost from scratch, Russia has created its own industry in solar energy, from research to the production of solar panels and the construction of generating stations. More renewable energy capacity was built in 2017 than in the previous two years. In 2015-2016, 130 MW of RES were introduced in Russia, and in 2017 140 MW were built, of which more than 100 MW are solar power plants, and 35 MW is the first large wind farm, which will be launched in the near future.

Among the key achievements, the First Deputy Minister of Energy also noted the launch of the production of new generation solar panels based on domestic heterostructure technology. Russia began to produce modules with efficiency above 22%, which, according to this indicator, are among the world's top three leaders in terms of efficiency in serial production. This year it is planned to increase the production capacity of the plant from 160 MW to 250 MW.

Alexey Texler expressed confidence that, as in solar energy, a wind energy industry will be created in the next three years. Already in 2016-2017. Large Russian and foreign investors came to the Russian wind energy industry and committed themselves to developing the technological and production base in Russia.

Isyangulovskaya solar power plant put into operation in Bashkortostan

In the autumn of 2017, the Isyangulovskaya solar power plant (SPP) with a capacity of 9 MW was put into operation in the Zianchurinsky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

The investor and general contractor of the project are the structures of the Hevel Group of Companies (a joint venture of the Renova Group of Companies and JSC RUSNANO). Local contractors were also involved in the construction. After completion of all routine procedures, the station will begin scheduled supplies of electricity to the grid. Investments in the construction of the station amounted to more than 1.5 billion rubles.

In 2015-2016 in the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Bugulchanskaya SPP with a total capacity of 15 MW and the Buribaevskaya SPP with a capacity of 20 MW were built and put into operation. Since entering the wholesale electricity and capacity market, the plants have generated more than 40 GWh of clean electricity.

With the commissioning of the Isyangulovskaya SPP, the installed capacity of solar generation in the region reached 44 MW. The new facility is the third of five that Hevel plans to build in Bashkortostan in the coming years. The total capacity of all solar power plants in the region will be 64 MW, and the total investment is estimated at more than 6 billion rubles.

Scientists have found a way to improve the efficiency of solar panels

Russian and Swiss researchers have studied the impact on the structure and performance of solar cells by changing the ratio of the components that form the light-absorbing layer of a perovskite solar cell. The results of the work were published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry C .

Organo-inorganic perovskites were first developed five years ago, but in terms of efficiency they have already overtaken the most common and more expensive silicon solar cells. In the structure of perovskites there are crystalline compounds in which the solvent molecules of the initial components are located. The dissolved components, falling out of the solution, form a film on which perovskite crystals grow. Scientists have isolated and described three intermediate compounds that are crystal solvates of one of the two solvents most commonly used in the creation of perovskite solar cells. For two compounds, scientists have established the crystal structure for the first time.

“We found that the key factor that determines the functional properties of the perovskite layer is the formation of intermediates, since perovskite crystallites inherit the form of intermediates. This, in turn, affects the film morphology and solar cell efficiency. This is especially important when obtaining thin perovskite films, since the needle-like or filamentary shape of the crystals will lead to the fact that the formed film will be discontinuous, and this will significantly reduce the efficiency of such a solar cell,” said Alexei Tarasov, head of the study.

In addition, the authors studied the thermal stability of the obtained compounds and, using quantum chemical modeling, calculated the energy of their formation. The authors also found that the crystal structure of the intermediate determines the shape of the resulting perovskite crystals, which determines the structure of the light-absorbing layer. This structure, in turn, affects the performance of the resulting solar cell.

The study was carried out by MSU researchers in collaboration with scientists from the Kurchatov Center for Synchrotron Radiation, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, St. Petersburg State University, and the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne in Switzerland.

Vekselberg plant starts production of solar panels for export

"Hevel" in the Orenburg and Astrakhan regions

In October, Governor of the Astrakhan Region Alexander Zhilkin and General Director of the Hevel Group of Companies Igor Shakhrai signed a bilateral agreement providing for the construction and commissioning of three network solar power plants.

Within two years, capacities will appear in the region to generate 135 MW of energy with prospects for an increase to 160 MW. The investment cost of the project is 15 billion rubles. It is planned that by the end of the year one power plant will be completed and put into operation. SES will bring additional tax revenues to the treasury of the region. According to Igor Shakhrai, 100 million rubles of taxes will be deducted for every 10 MW of energy per year. The general director of Hevel LLC noted that the Astrakhan land is the sunniest in the south of Russia. In addition, the region has a well-established scheme for connecting to the main power grids. In addition to this, the authorities strongly support and strive to develop the direction of clean energy in the region. In total, 6 solar power plants with a total capacity of 90 MW will be commissioned in the region by the end of the year.

2015

The world solar energy is coming close to the stage when the production of electricity with the help of the Sun begins to pay off with the usual, not increased tariff, the cost of materials and the amount of necessary investments are falling sharply, as technologies develop and the volume effect begins to affect (to produce a lot cheaper than a little). In comparison with 2014, the volume of generated energy based on solar power plants in the world increased by a third. At the end of 2015, the total installed capacity of photovoltaic solar installations in the world amounted to 227 GW, and the installed capacity of solar power plants doubled over the year. If earlier the world leader in the development of renewable energy was Europe, then last year China intercepted the palm.

SoftBank to build largest solar power plant in Saudi Arabia

The corresponding memorandum of intent was signed in New York by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. The prince is on a three-week official visit, the channel notes.

The planned capacity of the cascade of solar panels is 200 GW, which is many times more than any existing solar power plant. By comparison, California's Topaz Solar Farm, one of the largest of its kind, peaks at about 550 MW. Energy is stored there by 9 million thin-layer photovoltaic modules.

Dutch startup Oceans of Energy, which specializes in the development of floating renewable energy systems, has teamed up with five large companies to build the world's first offshore solar power plant. "Such power plants are already operating on water bodies in the mainland of different countries. But no one has built them on the sea - this is an extremely difficult task. We have to deal with huge waves and other destructive forces of nature. However, we are convinced that by combining our knowledge and experience, we can handle this project," said Allard van Hoeken, head of Oceans of Energy.

According to preliminary calculations, the floating power plant will be 15% more efficient than existing installations. The Energy Research Center of the Netherlands (ECN) will select the most suitable solar modules. Its experts believe that it is possible to use standard solar panels for the project, which also work at ground-based solar stations. "Let's see how they behave in sea water and in adverse weather conditions," said ECN spokesman Jan Kroon.

The consortium emphasizes that a floating solar power plant can be installed directly between offshore wind turbines. There are calmer waves and all power lines have already been laid. In the next three years, the consortium will work on a prototype with the financial support of the State Agency for Entrepreneurship of the Netherlands. And the University of Utrecht will provide the startup with the materials of its research.

The cost of solar energy in Australia has fallen by 44% since 2012

This renewable energy craze has led people to actually start paying less for electricity. On the plus side, the cost of electricity itself has also come down. Since 2012, the cost of installing and operating solar panels has fallen by almost half.

In 2017, private homeowners and businesses in the country installed panels with a total capacity of 1.05 GW. This assessment is given by the agency responsible for clean energy in the country. Authorities say that this is a record figure in history. At the beginning of this decade, renewable energy growth was reportedly linked to lucrative subsidies and tax proposals, but 2017 growth is different: the country's residents have decided to fight rising electricity tariffs in this way, and the movement has become massive.

BNEF predicts that Australia will become the world leader in the introduction of solar panels. By 2040, 25% of the country's electricity needs will be covered by rooftop solar panels. This will become possible due to the fact that today the payback period for such solutions has been reduced to the minimum since 2012. While this does not mean that traditional power plants in Australia are a thing of the past, but people are becoming freer in matters of providing themselves with electricity.

2017

South Korea to increase solar generation by 5 times by 2030

South Korea's Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy unveiled the government's plan to quintuple solar power generation by 2030.

The announcement came shortly after this year's President-elect Moon Jae-in vowed to end government support for the construction of new nuclear power plants and move towards clean energy sources. The government has already canceled the construction of six nuclear reactors in South Korea.

In total, the country plans to receive by 2030 a fifth of the generated electricity from renewable sources. Last year this figure was 7%. To this end, it is planned to add 30.8 GW of solar power and 16.5 GW of wind power by the appointed date. Additional energy will come from major projects as well as private households and small businesses, Minister Paik Ungyu said. "We will fundamentally change the way renewable energy is developed by creating an environment where citizens can easily participate in the renewable energy trade," he said.

This means that by 2022, approximately 1 in 30 households should be equipped with solar panels, according to Clean Technica.

Nevertheless, while South Korea ranks fifth in the world in terms of the use of nuclear energy. The country has 24 operating reactors, providing about a third of the country's electricity needs.

BP invests $200 million in solar energy

The Atacama Desert in Chile is one of the sunniest and driest places on the planet. It is logical that it was there that they decided to build the largest solar power plant in Latin America, El Romero. Giant solar panels cover 280 hectares of area. Its peak capacity is 246 MW, and the power plant generates 493 GWh of energy per year - enough to power 240,000 homes.

Surprisingly, just five years ago, there was almost no use of renewable energy sources in Chile. The country was dependent on energy supplier neighbors who inflated prices and forced Chileans to suffer exorbitant electricity bills. However, it is precisely the lack of fossil fuels that has led to a massive flood of investment in renewables, especially solar energy.

Now Chile produces almost the cheapest solar energy in the world. The companies hope that the country will become "Saudi Arabia for Latin America". Chile has already joined Mexico and Brazil in the top 10 renewable energy producing countries and is now set to lead the clean energy transition in Latin America.

"Michelle Bachelet's government has made a quiet revolution," said sociologist Eugenio Tironi.

Now that Chile's oligopolistic energy market is open to competition, the government has set a new goal: by 2025, 20% of the country's energy must come from renewable sources. And by 2040, Chile is going to completely switch to "clean" energy. Even to experts, this does not seem like a utopia, since the country's solar power plants, with current technologies, produce electricity twice as cheap as coal-fired power plants. Solar energy prices fell 75% to a record 2,148 cents per kilowatt hour.

Manufacturing companies face another problem: too cheap electricity does not bring much profit, and the maintenance and replacement of solar panels is not cheap. "The government will have to build long-term strategies so that the miracle does not become a nightmare," said José Ignacio Escobar, CEO of the Spanish conglomerate Acciona.

Google is completely switching to solar and wind energy

The company has become the world's largest corporate buyer of renewable energy, reaching a total capacity of 3 GW. Google's total investment in clean energy has reached $3.5 billion, writes Electrek in November 2017.

Google is officially moving to 100% solar and wind power. The company signed a contract with three wind farms: Avangrid in South Dakota, EDF in Iowa and GRDA in Oklahoma, with a total capacity of 535 MW. Now Google offices around the world will consume 3 GW of renewable energy.

The company's total investments in the energy sector reached $3.5 billion, and 2/3 of them are in facilities in. Such interest in "clean" sources is connected, first of all, with the fall in the cost of solar and wind energy by 60-80% in recent years.

Google first signed a partnership with a 114 MW solar farm in Iowa back in 2010. By November 2016, the company was already a participant in 20 renewable energy projects. It was going to completely switch to solar and wind energy back in December 2016. Google is now the world's largest corporate buyer of renewable energy.

Smart glass for windows was invented in Sweden

Scientists have been exploring this area for a long time and are looking for applications for the development. In the modern world, this technology is relevant, since the heat loss of houses due to windows is approximately 20%. Scientists believe that their invention can also be used for thermal insulation of various objects.

Villages in Iran sell electricity to the state

As of autumn 2017, there are more than 200 "green" villages in Iran. It is expected that by the spring of 2018 their number will reach 300. Iran today reports that solar panels have been installed in some settlements of the country for ten years. It is noted that the largest volumes of energy from the sun are produced in the provinces of Kerman, Khuzestan and Lorestan.

Initially, the emergence of alternative energy sources in the villages of Iran was due to the impossibility of delivering electricity to them from cities. Now they sell their own energy to the Iranian Ministry of Energy. It is planned to develop legislative norms, according to which the purchase of electricity in the villages will become permanent.

By 2030, Iran expects to produce 7,500 MW of "green" energy, today this figure is only 350 MW. However, the country has good prospects for the development of solar energy, because on 2/3 of the territory the sun shines 300 days a year.

British scientists have invented solar-powered glass bricks

A group of scientists at the University of Exeter in England have developed glass wall units with built-in solar panels. This is written by the architectural portal Archdaily. Blocks can be used in the construction of houses instead of ordinary bricks.

The building material was called "Solar Squared" ("Solar Square Tile"). As tests in the laboratory of the university showed, in addition to generating electricity, the blocks have a number of other useful properties. In particular, the walls constructed in this way let sunlight into the building well and keep the heat in the rooms.

To promote the product, scientists created an innovative company, The Build Solar. The search for investors is currently underway. The launch of the "solar tile" on the market is tentatively scheduled for 2018.

Dubai launches world's largest solar power plant

The installation of each solar panel cost 6,000 euros, including rent for a year, repairs and technical equipment. It is planned that solar panels will operate at public transport stops for about a year, after which they will be transferred to schools and kindergartens.

According to Piotr Switalski, head of the EU delegation to Armenia, the EU is interested in developing alternative energy in the country. He called the stop with solar panels "the solar stop of the European Union".

The search for alternative energy sources has been of concern to the progressive scientific community for more than a year. Solar energy is considered the most popular and most harmless of the ways to generate electricity. The sun is the main source for getting ecological, regularly. In this article, we will learn about the conversion of UV rays into electricity, in which regions of our country this technique is actively used and what are the features of its development in the future.

Alternative energy source

From the converted heat of our star, you can get the main types of energy that are used daily by people around the world. Consider the main categories of electricity generation:

1. Elements of photoelectrics. They are used in the manufacture, which are receivers of natural rays in systems. Panels differ from each other in structure, power, dimensions. They can be single-crystal, silicon-coated, polycrystalline.
2. Thermoelectric generator. Through this technical device, electricity is produced from the energy of the rays. The action algorithm consists in converting different temperatures scattered over different places of the unit.

Getting thermal energy

Solar energy is converted into heat through the use of multiple configurations:

• vacuum collectors. They work like this: the special fluid heated by the rays evaporates when specific parameters are reached. The energy of the resulting steam is transferred to the heat carrier. After the release of energy, the steam condenses, the process resumes in a circle.
• Flat collectors, made on the basis of an absorber with a stacked coating, a heat-insulating frame, providing the inlet and outlet of the coolant. Work is provided due to the absorption of rays by a special surface. They are focused, concentrated under the influence of the lens, redirected to a device that transmits the sun's energy to the consumer through a coolant.

The use of solar generation in everyday life

Photovoltaics is one of the main ways of converting natural heat into electricity needed by mankind. This effect is carried out in this way: the electrons that absorb the energy of light particles are set in motion, creating an electrical voltage.

Solar panels (batteries) operate on the basis of the above process. These structures are based on elements that convert radiation into electricity. They are practical and have high performance. The panels are not susceptible to temperature fluctuations and precipitation.

The development of solar energy has made it possible to use panels as power sources for homes, in the medical field, in order to ennoble the city. Modern batteries are distinguished by an extensive selection of textures and shades. Less and less they resemble standard blue batteries, they can decorate the roof of the house without violating the overall style of the building.

The news was not without a novelty from the famous Tesla brand. The manufacturer did not limit himself to panels, but developed a roofing material that can fully process solar radiation. For example, tiles "Solar Ruf" with built-in solar modules. It is made in a variety of variations, is characterized by a lifetime warranty and a margin of safety.

Development prospects in Russia

Eco sources have become widespread in many world states. Our country does not lag behind the given trend, on the contrary, it is spreading at a rapid pace. This is due to 4 reasons:

• Development of technologies that can significantly reduce the cost of equipment.
• Desire to use independent energy sources among the population.
• Clean and safe production.
• Constant renewal of the energy source.

The priority for "green" energy are the southern regions of the Russian Federation - Stavropol, Krasnodar, Far Eastern Territory, the Caucasus, southern Siberia.

Each region differs from the other in terms of insolation, which depends on the time of year and the length of the day. Having studied the news of the development of solar energy for the previous year, we can see the capacity of Russian eco-power plants, which amounted to more than 75 megawatts.

In which regions are ECO power plants used?

List of stations actively operating in six regions:

• Orenburg Territory: 2 stations with a capacity of 25 MW and 5 MW;
• Bashkortostan: Bugulchanskaya stations (15 MW and 20 MW);
• Altai: Ust-Kanskaya and Kosh-Agachskaya (5 and 10 TDC);
• Crimea: thirteen stations with a capacity of over 289 megawatts;
• Khakassia: Abakansakaya;
• Belgorod region: Altenergo station.

For 2018, in the project phase, at the construction stages there are stations in the following regions: Astrakhan, Lipetsk, Omsk, Samara, Chelyabinsk, Saratov, Irkutsk, Volgograd. Additionally: Dagestan, Kalmykia, Bashkortostan and Transbaikalia.

Where is it used?

In general, the power arriving during the construction of stations will be more than a thousand megawatts. In everyday life, solar collectors, solar thermal, thermoelectric generators are regularly used, which are installed at factories and enterprises.

The solar energy news is more than favorable. The total power of the designed installations, their wide distribution from the south to Siberia is considered the main indicator of the mobile development of alternative energy.

Application of eco-energy in everyday life

Solar energy is a common and advanced type, suitable for domestic use in the form of an electric heating source for residential facilities, where they use:

1. Solar powered power plants produced by foreign and domestic industrial enterprises. The units go on sale with different power reserves, in several types of equipment.
2. Heat pumps. Are intended for heating of pools, providing with hot water, heating of the room.
3. Solar collectors are used to supply hot water and heating house systems, in particular, vacuum tubular units are the most effective in this area.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages include: production availability, low cost of production, inexhaustibility of the energy source, safety of the installation of the structure. In addition, the industry has good prospects, as technologies and materials with improved characteristics are being developed in parallel with it.

The negative aspects include: insufficient efficiency, expensive equipment, dependence on seasonality, geolocation, day, weather.

To ensure a comfortable life for the population and the development of industrial sectors in Russia, an impressive energy reserve is needed. Therefore, independent sources of energy supply are increasingly conquering the space of the country, providing heat and electricity to remote regions.

Today, the problem of energy consumption is quite acute - the resources of the planet are not endless, and during its existence, humanity has pretty much devastated what was given by nature. At the moment, coal and oil are being actively mined, the reserves of which are becoming smaller every day. allowed humanity to take an incredible step into the future and use atomic energy, bringing along with this boon a huge danger to the entire environment.

The environmental issue is no less acute - the active extraction of resources and their further use adversely affects the state of the planet, changing not only the nature of soils, but even climatic conditions.

That is why special attention has always been paid to natural sources of energy, such as, for example, water or wind. Finally, after so many years of active research and development, humanity has “grown up” to the use of solar energy on Earth. It is about him that will be discussed further.

What is so attractive about this

Before moving on to specific examples, let's find out why researchers around the world are so interested in this type of energy production. Its main asset can be called inexhaustibility. Despite numerous hypotheses, the likelihood that a star like the Sun will go out in the near future is extremely small. This means that humanity has the opportunity to receive clean energy in a completely natural way.

The second undoubted advantage of using solar energy on Earth is the environmental friendliness of this option. The impact on the environment under such conditions will be zero, which in turn provides the whole world with a much brighter future than that which opens up with the constant extraction of limited underground resources.

Finally, special attention should be paid to the fact that the Sun represents the least danger to man himself.

How really

Now let's get to the point. The somewhat poetic name "solar energy" actually hides the conversion of radiation into electricity using specially developed technologies. This process is provided by photovoltaic cells, which humanity is extremely actively using for its own purposes, and quite successfully.

Solar radiation

It so happened historically that the noun "radiation" evokes more negative associations in a person than positive ones in connection with those man-made disasters that the world managed to survive in its lifetime. Nevertheless, the technology of using the energy of the Sun on Earth provides for working with it.

In fact, this type of radiation is electromagnetic radiation, the range of which is in the range from 2.8 to 3.0 microns.

The solar spectrum so successfully used by mankind actually consists of three types of waves: ultraviolet (about 2%), about 49% are light waves, and, finally, the same amount falls on Solar energy has a small number of other components, but their role is so insignificant that they do not have a special impact on the life of the Earth.

The amount of solar energy hitting the earth

Now that the composition of the spectrum used for the benefit of mankind has been determined, one more important feature of this resource should be noted. The use of solar energy on Earth seems very promising also because it is available in fairly large quantities at almost minimal processing costs. The total amount of energy emitted by a star is extremely high, but about 47% reaches the Earth's surface, which is equal to seven hundred quadrillion kilowatt-hours. For comparison, we note that only one kilowatt-hour can provide a ten-year operation of a light bulb with a power of one hundred watts.

The power of the Sun's radiation and the use of energy on Earth, of course, depends on a number of factors: climatic conditions, the angle of incidence of rays on the surface, season and geographical location.

When and how much

It is easy to guess that the daily amount of solar energy falling on the surface of the Earth is constantly changing, since it directly depends on the position of the planet in relation to the Sun and the movement of the star itself. It has long been known that at noon the radiation is maximum, while in the morning and evening the number of rays reaching the surface is much less.

We can say with confidence that the use of solar energy will be most productive in regions as close as possible to the equatorial strip, since it is there that the difference between the highest and lowest indicators is minimal, which indicates the maximum amount of radiation reaching the surface of the planet. For example, in the desert African areas, the annual amount of radiation reaches an average of 2200 kilowatt-hours, while in Canada or, for example, Central Europe, the figures do not exceed 1000 kilowatt-hours.

Solar energy in history

If you think as broadly as possible, attempts to "tame" the great luminary that warms our planet began in ancient times during paganism, when each element was embodied by a separate deity. However, of course, then the use of solar energy was out of the question - magic reigned in the world.

The topic of using the energy of the Sun on Earth began to be actively raised only at the end of the 14th - beginning of the 20th century. A real breakthrough in science was made in 1839 by Alexander Edmond Becquerel, who managed to become the discoverer of the photovoltaic effect. The study of this topic has increased significantly, and after 44 years, Charles Fritts was able to design the first module in history, which was based on gold-plated selenium. Such use of the energy of the Sun on Earth gave a small amount of released electricity - the total amount of generation then amounted to no more than 1%. Nevertheless, for all mankind, this was a real breakthrough, opening up new horizons of science, which had not even been dreamed of before.

Albert Einstein himself made a significant contribution to the development of solar energy. In the modern world, the name of a scientist is more often associated with his famous theory of relativity, but in fact, he was awarded the Nobel Prize precisely for studying

To this day, the technology of using solar energy on Earth is experiencing either rapid ups or no less rapid falls, but this branch of knowledge is constantly updated with new facts, and we can hope that in the foreseeable future the door to a completely new world will open before us.

Nature is against us

We have already spoken about the advantages of using the energy of the Sun on Earth. Now let's pay attention to the disadvantages of this method, which, unfortunately, are not less.

Due to the direct dependence on geographic location, climatic conditions and the movement of the Sun, the production of solar energy in sufficient quantities requires huge territorial costs. The bottom line is that the larger the area of ​​consumption and processing of solar radiation, the greater the amount of environmentally friendly energy we will receive at the output. The placement of such huge systems requires a large amount of free space, which causes certain difficulties.

Another problem regarding the use of the energy of the Sun on Earth is in direct dependence on the time of day, since the generation at night will be zero, and in the morning and evening it will be extremely insignificant.

An additional risk factor is the weather itself - sudden changes in conditions can have an extremely negative impact on the operation of this kind of system, since they cause difficulties in debugging the required power. In a sense, situations with a sharp change in the amount of consumption and production can be dangerous.

Clean but expensive

The use of solar energy on Earth is difficult at the moment due to its high cost. The photocells necessary for the implementation of the main processes have a rather high cost. Of course, the positive aspects of using this kind of resource make it pay off, but from an economic point of view, at the moment there is no need to talk about the full payback of cash costs.

However, as the trend shows, the price of solar cells is gradually falling, so that over time this problem can be completely solved.

The inconvenience of the process

The use of the Sun as an energy source is also difficult because this method of processing resources is rather laborious and inconvenient. The consumption and processing of radiation directly depend on the cleanliness of the plates, which is quite problematic to ensure. In addition, the heating of the elements also has an extremely negative effect on the process, which can only be prevented by using the most powerful cooling systems, which requires additional material costs, and considerable ones.

In addition, the plates used in solar collectors, after 30 years of active work, gradually become unusable, and the cost of photocells was mentioned earlier.

environmental issue

Earlier it was said that the use of this kind of resource can save humanity from quite serious problems with the environment in the future. The source of resources and the final product are truly environmentally friendly as much as possible.

Nevertheless, the use of solar energy, the principle of operation of solar collectors is to use special plates with photocells, the manufacture of which requires a lot of toxic substances: lead, arsenic or potassium. Their use itself does not bring harm to the environment, however, given the limited period of their operation, over time, the disposal of plates can become a serious problem.

To limit the negative impact on the environment, manufacturers are gradually moving to thin-film plates, which have a lower cost and less detrimental effect on the environment.

Ways to convert radiation into energy

Films and books about the future of mankind almost always give us approximately the same picture of this process, which, in fact, can differ significantly from reality. There are several ways to convert.

The most common can be called the previously described involvement of photocells.

As an alternative, humanity is actively using solar thermal energy, based on the heating of special surfaces, which allows, with the proper direction of the temperature obtained, to heat water. If we simplify this process as much as possible, it can be compared with the tanks that are used for a summer shower in private sector homes.

Another way to use radiation to generate energy is the "solar sail", which can only operate in a system of this kind that converts radiation into

The problem of the lack of generation at night is partially solved by solar balloon power plants, the operation of which continues due to the accumulation of released energy and the duration of the cooling process.

We and solar energy

The energy resources of the sun and wind on Earth are used quite actively, although we often do not notice this. Earlier, the folksy heating of water in an outdoor shower has already been mentioned. In fact, most often solar energy is used for these purposes. However, there are many other examples: in almost every lighting store you can find storage bulbs that can work without electricity even at night thanks to the energy accumulated during the day.

Installations based on photocells are actively used in all kinds of pumping stations and ventilation systems.

Yesterday Today Tomorrow

One of the most important resources for humanity is solar energy, and the prospects for its use are extremely high. This industry is actively funded, expanded and improved. Now solar energy is most developed in the United States, where some regions use it as a full-fledged alternative power source. Also, power plants of this type operate in other countries, while they have long headed for this type of electricity generation, which may soon solve the problem of environmental pollution.

The principle of solar energy conversion, its application and prospects

There are fewer traditional energy sources in the world. Stocks of oil, gas, coal are depleted and everything goes to the fact that sooner or later they will run out. If by this time no alternative energy sources are found, then a catastrophe awaits humanity. Therefore, in all developed countries, research is underway to discover and develop new energy sources. The first is solar energy. Since ancient times, this energy has been used by people to light their homes, dry food, clothes, etc. Today, solar energy is one of the most promising sources of alternative energy. Currently, there are already quite a lot of designs that allow you to convert the energy of the sun into electrical or thermal energy. The industry is gradually growing and developing, but, like everywhere else, there are problems. All this will be discussed in this article.

Solar energy is one of the most affordable renewable sources on Earth. The use of solar energy in the national economy has a positive effect on the state of the environment, since it does not require drilling wells or developing mines to obtain it. In addition, this type of energy is free and does not cost anything. Naturally, the costs for the purchase and installation of equipment are required.

The problem is that the sun is an intermittent source of energy. So, what is required is the accumulation of energy and its use in conjunction with other energy sources. The main problem today is that modern equipment has a low efficiency of converting solar energy into electrical and thermal energy. Therefore, all developments are aimed at increasing the efficiency of such systems and reducing their cost.

By the way, a lot of resources on the planet are derived from solar energy. For example, wind, which is another renewable source, would not blow without the sun. The evaporation of water and its accumulation in rivers also occurs under the action of the sun. And water, as you know, is used by hydropower. Biofuels would also not exist without the sun. Therefore, in addition to a direct source of energy, the sun affects other areas of energy.

The sun sends radiation to the surface of our planet. Of the wide spectrum of radiation from the Earth's surface, 3 types of waves reach:

• Light. In the emission spectrum, they are approximately 49 percent;
• infrared. Their share is also 49 percent. Thanks to these waves, our planet is warming up;
• Ultraviolet. In the spectrum of solar radiation, they are approximately 2 percent. They are invisible to our eyes.

Excursion into history

How has solar energy evolved to the present day? Man has thought about the use of the sun in his activities since ancient times. Everyone knows the legend according to which Archimedes burned the enemy fleet near his city of Syracuse. He used incendiary mirrors for this. Several thousand years ago, in the Middle East, the palaces of rulers were heated with water, which was heated by the sun. In some countries, we evaporate sea water in the sun to get salt. Scientists often conducted experiments with heating devices powered by solar energy.

The first models of such heaters were produced in the XVII-XVII centuries. In particular, the researcher N. Saussure presented his version of the water heater. It is a wooden box with a glass lid. The water in this device was heated to 88 degrees Celsius. In 1774, A. Lavoisier used lenses to concentrate heat from the sun. And lenses have also appeared that allow locally to melt cast iron in a few seconds.

Batteries that convert the energy of the sun into mechanical energy were created by French scientists. At the end of the 19th century, researcher O. Musho developed an insolator that focused beams on a steam boiler using a lens. This boiler was used to operate the printing press. In the United States at that time, it was possible to create a unit powered by the sun with a capacity of 15 "horses".

For a long time, insolators were produced according to a scheme that uses the energy of the sun to turn water into steam. And the converted energy was used to do some work. The first device that converts solar energy into electrical energy was created in 1953 in the United States. It became the prototype of modern solar panels. The photoelectric effect on which their work is based was discovered back in the 70s of the 19th century.

In the thirties of the last century, Academician of the USSR A.F. Ioffe proposed the use of semiconductor photocells to convert solar energy. Battery efficiency at that time was less than 1%. It took many years before solar cells were developed with an efficiency of 10-15 percent. Then the Americans built solar panels of a modern type.

To obtain more power from solar systems, low efficiency is compensated by an increased area of ​​​​photocells. But this is not an option, since silicon semiconductors in photovoltaic cells are quite expensive. With an increase in efficiency, the cost of materials increases. This is the main obstacle to the massive use of solar panels. But as resources are depleted, their use will become more and more profitable. In addition, research to increase the efficiency of solar cells does not stop.

It is worth saying that semiconductor-based batteries are quite durable and do not require qualifications to care for them. Therefore, they are most often used in everyday life. There are also entire solar power plants. As a rule, they are created in countries with a large number of sunny days per year. These are Israel, Saudi Arabia, the south of the USA, India, Spain. Now there are absolutely fantastic projects. For example, solar power plants outside the atmosphere. There the sunlight has not yet lost energy. That is, the radiation is proposed to be captured in orbit and then converted into microwaves. Then, in this form, the energy will be sent to the Earth.

Solar Energy Conversion

First of all, it is worth saying about how solar energy can be expressed and evaluated.

How can you estimate the amount of solar energy?

Experts use to evaluate such a value as the solar constant. It is equal to 1367 watts. This is the amount of solar energy per square meter of the planet. About a quarter is lost in the atmosphere. The maximum value at the equator is 1020 watts per square meter. Taking into account day and night, changes in the angle of incidence of rays, this value should be reduced by another three times.

Versions about the sources of solar energy were very different. At the moment, experts say that energy is released as a result of the transformation of four H2 atoms into a He nucleus. The process proceeds with the release of a significant amount of energy. For comparison, imagine that the conversion energy of 1 gram of H2 is comparable to that released when burning 15 tons of hydrocarbons.

Conversion methods

Since science today does not have devices that work on the energy of the sun in its pure form, it needs to be converted to another type. For this, devices such as solar panels and a collector were created. Batteries convert solar energy into electrical energy. And the collector generates thermal energy. There are also models that combine these two types. They are called hybrids.

• photoelectric;
• solar thermal;
• hot air;
• solar balloon power plants.

The first way is the most common. It uses photovoltaic panels that generate electricity under the influence of the sun. In most cases, they are made of silicon. The thickness of such panels is tenths of a millimeter. Such panels are combined into photovoltaic modules (batteries) and installed in the sun. Most often they are placed on the roofs of houses. In principle, nothing prevents them from being placed on the ground. It is only necessary that there are no large objects around them, other buildings and trees that can cast a shadow.

In addition to photocells, thin-film or are used to generate electrical energy. Their advantage is a small thickness, and the disadvantage is a reduced efficiency. Such models are often used in portable chargers for various gadgets.

The hot-air conversion method involves obtaining the energy of an air flow. This flow is directed to the turbogenerator. In balloon power plants, under the influence of solar energy, water vapor is generated in a balloon balloon. The surface of the balloon is covered with a special coating that absorbs the sun's rays. Such power plants are able to operate in cloudy weather and at night due to the steam supply in the balloon.

Solar energy is based on heating the surface of the energy carrier in a special collector. For example, it could be heating water for a home heating system. Not only water, but also air can be used as a heat carrier. It can be heated in the collector and fed into the ventilation system of the house.

All these systems are quite expensive, but their development and improvement is gradually continuing.

Advantages and disadvantages of solar energy

Advantages

• For free. One of the main advantages of solar energy is that there is no charge for it. Solar panels are made using silicon, which is quite abundant;
• There is no side effect. The process of energy conversion takes place without noise, harmful emissions and waste, environmental impact. This cannot be said about thermal, hydro and nuclear energy. All traditional sources harm the OS in one way or another;
• Safety and reliability. The equipment is durable (serves up to 30 years). After 20-25 years of use, solar cells give out up to 80 percent of their face value;
• Recycling. Solar panels are completely recyclable and can be reused in production;
• Ease of maintenance. The equipment is quite simple to deploy and work offline;
• Well adapted for use in private homes;
• Aesthetics. Can be installed on the roof or facade of the building without compromising the appearance;
• Well integrated as auxiliary power supply systems.

Since ancient times, people have spoken of the Sun as powerful and great, raising it in their religions to an animated object. They worshiped the luminary, praised him, they measured time and always considered him the primary source of earthly blessings.

The need for solar energy

Millennia have passed. Mankind has entered a new era of its development and is enjoying the fruits of rapidly developing technological progress. However, to this day, it is the Sun that is the main natural source of heat, and, consequently, of life.

How does humanity use the Sun in its daily activities? Let's consider this question in more detail.

"Work" of the Sun

The heavenly body serves as the only source of the energy that is needed for plant photosynthesis. The sun sets in motion the water cycle, and only thanks to him on our planet there are all fossil fuels known to mankind. And people also use the power of this bright star in order to meet their needs for electrical and thermal energy. Without it, life on the planet would simply be impossible.

Main source of energy

Nature wisely takes care that humanity receives its gifts from the heavenly body. Delivery of solar energy to the Earth is carried out by transmitting radiation waves to the surface of continents and waters. Moreover, from the entire spectrum sent, only:

1. Ultraviolet waves. They are invisible to the human eye and make up about 2% of the total spectrum.

2. Light waves. This is about half of the Sun's energy that reaches the Earth's surface. Thanks to light waves, a person sees all the colors of the world around him.

3. Infrared waves. They make up approximately 49% of the spectrum and heat the surface of water and land. It is these waves that are most in demand in the use of solar energy on Earth.

The principle of infrared wave conversion

How is the process of using the energy of the Sun on Earth? Like any other similar action, it is carried out according to the principle of direct transformation. This requires only a special surface. When it hits it, sunlight goes through the process of being converted into energy. To obtain heat in this circuit, a collector must be involved. It absorbs infrared waves. Further, in a device that uses the energy of the Sun, storage devices are certainly present. To heat the final product, special heat exchangers are arranged.

The goal pursued by solar energy is to obtain heat and light so necessary for humanity. The new industry is sometimes referred to as solar energy. After all, Helios in Greek means the Sun.

Operation of the complex

Theoretically, each of us can calculate a solar installation. After all, it is known that, having traveled from the only star of our galactic system to the Earth, a stream of light rays will bring with it an energy charge equal to 1367 watts per square meter. This is the so-called solar constant, which exists at the entrance to the atmospheric layers. This option is possible only under ideal conditions, which simply do not exist in nature. After passing through the atmosphere, the sun's rays will bring 1020 watts per square meter to the equator. But due to the change of daytime and nighttime, we can get a three times lower value. As for temperate latitudes, not only the duration of daylight hours, but also seasonality changes here. Thus, the receipt of electricity in places far from the equator, in the calculation, will need to be halved.

The geography of the radiations of the celestial luminary

Where can solar energy work effectively enough? The natural conditions for the location of installations play an important role in this growing industry.
The distribution of solar radiation on the Earth's surface is uneven. In some regions, the ray of the Sun is a long-awaited and rare guest, in others it is capable of depressingly affecting all living things.

The amount of solar radiation that a particular area receives depends on the latitude of its location. The largest doses of the energy of a natural star are received by states located near the equator. But that's not all. The amount of solar flux depends on the number of clear days, which change when moving from one climatic zone to another. Air currents and other features of the region can increase or decrease the degree of radiation. The benefits of solar energy are most familiar:

The countries of northeast Africa and some southwestern and central regions of the continent;
- residents of the Arabian Peninsula;
- East coast of Africa;
- northwestern Australia and some islands of Indonesia;
- West coast of South America.

As for Russia, as the measurements made on its territory show, the areas bordering China, as well as the northern zones, enjoy the highest doses of solar radiation. And where in our country the Sun heats the Earth the least? This is the northwestern region, which includes St. Petersburg and the surrounding areas.

power plants

It is difficult to imagine our life without using the energy of the Sun on Earth. How to apply it? Light rays can be used to generate electricity. The need for it is growing every year, and the reserves of gas, oil and coal are declining at a rapid pace. That is why in recent decades people began to build solar power plants. After all, these installations allow the use of alternative energy sources, significantly saving natural resources.

Solar power plants operate thanks to photocells built into their surface. Moreover, in recent years, it has been possible to significantly increase the efficiency of such systems. Solar installations began to be produced from the latest materials and using creative engineering solutions. This greatly increased their power.

According to some researchers, in the near future, humanity may abandon the current traditional ways of generating electricity. The needs of people will be completely satisfied by the heavenly body.

Solar power plants can be of various sizes. The smallest of them are private. In these systems, only a few solar panels are provided. The largest and most complex installations cover areas exceeding ten square kilometers.

All solar power plants are divided into six types. Among them:

Tower;
- installations with photocells;
- dish-shaped;
- parabolic;
- solar-vacuum;
- mixed.

The most common type of power plant is the tower. This is a tall design. Outwardly, it resembles a tower with a reservoir located on it. The container is filled with water and painted black. Around the tower are mirrors, the area of ​​which exceeds 8 square meters. The whole system is connected to a single control panel, thanks to which it is possible to direct the angle of the mirrors in such a way that they constantly reflect sunlight. Rays directed at the tank heat the water. The system produces steam, which is sent to generate electricity.

Photovoltaic power plants use solar panels. Today, such installations have become especially popular. After all, solar panels can be installed in small blocks, which allows them to be used not only for industrial enterprises, but also for private houses.

If you see a number of satellite dishes, huge in size, on the inside of which mirror plates are installed, then know that these are parabolic power plants operating on solar radiation. The principle of their operation is similar to the same tower-type systems. They catch a beam of light and heat the receiver with liquid. Next, steam is produced, which is used to generate electricity.

Disk stations work in the same way as those that are classified as tower and parabolic types. The differences lie only in the design features of the installation. At first glance, it looks like a huge metal tree, the leaves of which are flat round mirrors. They concentrate solar energy.

An unusual way of obtaining heat is used in a solar-vacuum power plant. Its design is a piece of land covered with a round roof. In the center of this structure rises a hollow tower, at the base of which turbines are installed. The rotation of the blades of such a power plant is due to the air flow that occurs when the temperature difference. The glass roof lets in the sun's rays. They heat up the earth. The air temperature inside the room rises. The difference in the readings of the thermometers inside and outside creates an air draft.

Solar energy also uses mixed-type power plants. We can talk about such systems in cases where, for example, additional photocells are used on towers.

Advantages and disadvantages of solar energy

Each sector of the national economy has its positive and negative sides. They are also available when using light fluxes. The advantages of solar energy are as follows:

Environmental friendliness, because it does not pollute the environment;
- the availability of the main components - photocells, which are sold not only for industrial use, but also for the creation of personal small power plants;
- inexhaustibility and self-restoration of the source;
- constantly decreasing cost.

Among the disadvantages of solar energy can be identified:

Influence of time of day and weather conditions on the performance of power plants;
- the need for energy storage;
- decrease in productivity depending on the latitude at which the region is located and on the season;
- large air heating, which takes place at the power plant itself;
- the need for periodic cleaning from pollution, which the solar battery system needs, which is problematic due to the huge areas on which solar cells are installed;
- the relatively high cost of equipment, which, although decreasing every year, is still inaccessible to the mass consumer.

Development prospects

What are the future possibilities of using the energy of the Sun on Earth? Today, a great future is predicted for this alternative complex.

The outlook for solar energy is bright. After all, already today huge works in terms of their scale are being carried out in this direction. Every year, more and more solar power plants appear in various countries of the world, the dimensions of which amaze with their technical solutions and scale. In addition, specialists in this industry do not stop conducting scientific research, the purpose of which is to multiply the efficiency of photocells used in such installations.

Scientists have made an interesting calculation. If solar cells were installed on the land of planet Earth, which would be located on seven hundredths of its territory, then even with an efficiency of 10%, they would provide all of humanity with the heat and light it needs. And this is not such a distant prospect. After all, photocells that are used today have an efficiency of 30%. At the same time, scientists hope to bring this value to 85%.

The development of solar energy is proceeding at a fairly high pace. People are seriously concerned about the problem of depletion of natural resources and are engaged in identifying alternative sources of heat and light. Such a decision will prevent the inevitable energy crisis for humanity, as well as an impending ecological catastrophe.